There is no disputing that social media has changed the world. Over 3.96 billion people worldwide now use social media. That’s more than half of the global population. 

Over the past decade, social media has grown from being somewhere we could chat and post pictures, to a place we can shop, look for jobs, and even make amateur music videos.

Social media is a phenomenon that can benefit both the casual user and businesses alike. If you’re a business owner and want to start using social media, here is why you should.

It helps to build brand awareness

We live in such a fast-paced world now that traditional marketing methods no longer suffice. Many people won’t look twice at a printed ad or flyer through their door.

Social media enables you to put your brand in front of anyone, regardless of their location, allowing you to reach a broader audience and market your products and services even further.

It increases visibility 

One of the benefits of setting up social media profiles for your business is that it allows you to fill up the first page of Google with webpages that you control.

For example, if you have an Instagram, Twitter or Facebook page set up for your business and search for your company name in Google, these pages will likely rank on the first page of results along with your website.

The more pages you control in the search results, the better as it increases the likelihood of a prospect clicking on one of your pages.

It shows authenticity and creates trust 

People tend to research businesses and their products online before committing to a purchase. Their first port of call is usually Google, shortly followed by social media profiles such as Facebook and Instagram.

Having several established social media profiles validates your authenticity, making people more likely to trust you and make a purchase.

It keeps you relevant 

Social media presents the opportunity to connect with fans and followers every time you’re online.

Create a consistent stream of entertaining, informative and promotional posts for your followers which will keep you at the forefront of their minds. So when they are ready to make a purchase, your business will be the first they think of. 

It facilitates instant communication between you and the customer 

Social media marketing is not just a marketing tool; it can also be used as a customer service management tool.

When a customer wants to ask a question, they do not want to sit in a call queue or wait for a reply to an email – they want instant interaction. Social media lets customers communicate with you directly through instant chat and messaging features, allowing you to answer queries and solve problems immediately. 

It boosts website traffic

The more quality content you share with your audience on social media, the more inbound traffic you will generate for your website. Blog posts, offers, and new products and services are all kinds of quality content you can share. By sharing such content on your profile, you are giving your audience a reason to click-through to your website.

The kind of inbound website traffic you generate will vary depending on the platform. For example, you are more likely to attract serious business professionals through LinkedIn and younger creatives through Instagram and Twitter, so it’s essential that you choose the right social media platform to attract the right audience.

It can generate leads

Social media is so good at generating leads that most social media networks now have specific tools designed to collect leads (such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Ads).

Even without paying a penny, you can still use social media to generate leads by merely promoting your products and services on your page.

It’s a free marketing avenue 

It costs nothing to set up and post content on a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram account. 

Although it does cost money to display ads, it is relatively inexpensive.

It provides valuable insights

Each social media platform offers its own version of analytics which offers useful information about your engagement levels, reach and audience statistics such as age, location, likes and dislikes. This information is key to developing successful content that you can tailor towards your ideal audience.

Conclusion 

Whether your goal is to increase brand awareness, promote products online, or to generate large quantities of leads, social media can help you to achieve this.

We have helped many businesses across the UK reach their social media marketing goals, whether that has been through devising a comprehensive strategy, creating compelling Facebook ads, or executing targeted LinkedIn campaigns.

Would you like help to manage your social media presence from the experts? Our team can create valuable and informative social media content to help build brand awareness and increase visibility.

If you are ready to get started with social media marketing or want to speak with someone and learn more about what we do, then call us on 0330 380 0630.